19 November 2005

As international donors meet in Islamabad this Saturday the huge and lasting nature of the impact of the earthquake which hit on October 8th is becoming clearer.

The Pakistan government will reveal its plans for post-disaster reconstruction against the backdrop of an urgent need for more funds.

Roger Yates, head of ActionAid’s international emergencies team said: "Money needs to be available for the long term recovery, and not just pledged. If donor governments fail to deliver on their financial commitments, as they have with other emergencies in the past, then the work of rebuilding broken communities will be all that much harder."

Aid workers are working against the clock to provide shelter, food, medicine, warm clothing and blankets to an estimated 3.5 million people who are still homeless one month after the quake. As the harsh winter sets in, more people are in danger of dying in the freezing conditions.

Whilst ActionAid recognises the international lead which the British government, through the person of Hilary Benn, has taken in responding to this emergency, it calls on other members of the donor community to urgently provide the money needed to save lives and start the reconstruction. Only 23 per cent of the UN’s consolidated flash appeal has been committed.